Muriel raised an easy smile. In spite of her heavy makeup, she was a beautiful woman. “Would you like somedinner?”
“I’d love somedinner.”
Her smile grew. “Will your guest be joiningyou?”
“She will,” Jarod answered forme.
“Thank you,” I said before sheleft.
“Of course.” She shut thedoor.
“She cares a lot for you,” Isaid.
Jarod shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the back of one the upholstered dining chairs before dropping into the seat at the head of the table. “She’s paid tocare.”
I startled. “That’s not why shecares.”
He scooted back and crossed one foot over his knee, his pant leg riding up, revealing a red sock that matched the pocket square I’d spied adorning his jacket. “She wouldn’t stay if I cut heroff.”
“I don’t believethat.”
“Of course, you don’t. In your world, everyone’s good andkind.”
My throat went dry. “Inmyworld?”
“You obviously live in a bubble, Leigh. It takes someone supremely guileless to stroll into my lair expectingkindness.”
I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved oroffended.
He stretched his neck from side to side, and it cracked. “So, now, tell me why you need to win this bet. What is it you stand tolose?”
“Something Iwant.”
“Whichis?”
“Unimportant,” I said, tossing the word he’d used earlier back athim.
“I have no doubt it’s unimportant, doubtlessly superficial, but color me interested. What is it you want so badly you’re willing to spend a day with someone as terrible asme?”
“Why do you do what youdo?”
“Excuseme?”
“Why do you kill or torture, or whatever else you do in yourorganization?”
I was expecting him to lob another question at me, but he leaned back and draped his arm over the carved wooden frame of his seat that looked more throne than house chair. “Because I enjoy punishingpeople.”
A frisson went through me. “Why?”
“Why do you feel the need to fix people, Feather?” Jarod was a professional deflector. Every time I got too close to something, he either mocked me or changed thetopic.
“To give them a chance at a betterlife.”
“Well, I enjoy punishing people because it gives the ones they’ve wronged a chance at a betterlife.”
“How do you choose who getspunished?”
“Usually by large donations, but the first of every month, I allow the destitute to come and plead their case. I’m like a real-live RobinHood.”
